Poor one-day record or not, it's just too tricky to drop Vaughan

The venue may change - though it feels as if West Indies have been marooned in the damp and chilly North for all of their tour - but the pattern remains the same. England dominate in circumstances that are alien to the Caribbean cricketers who have little or no knowledge of English conditions from the leagues or from county cricket.

Despite flickers of resistance from the tourists at Old Trafford, England are a patently superior Test team - and a luckier one. Michael Vaughan always wins the toss and it was a great one to win yesterday - while his opposite number, Daren Ganga, gets out in increasingly bizarre ways. He was unlucky to receive two straight balls from Steve Harmison at Manchester and yesterday he clipped the first delivery of the match from the meat of his bat into Alastair Cook's chest at short leg. There it stayed. Poor Ganga has one knock left on this tour - in the second innings here at Chester-le-Street, then he can retreat to Trinidad.

After much confusing politicking among the West Indies selectors and their board, it has been decided that Ganga will not lead the side in what Tony Cozier describes as 'abbreviated cricket'. Instead, Chris Gayle, previously in charge for a solitary one-day international and the original choice of the selectors, will captain the team. Poor Gayle, he'll have to expend all that energy waving his arms around.

Unlike the Test series, which has been so one-sided, the abbreviated cricket could be keenly contested. The sides are equally bad at the one-day game. In Bridgetown in April, in a match that was meaningless in terms of the World Cup, but at least provided some entertainment, England won off the penultimate ball. A couple of seasons ago West Indies snatched the Champions Trophy from England's hands at the Oval. We could do with a game or two with an outcome that is hard to predict. England will announce their one-day squad after the Lions - the new name for the A team - have played West Indies in a 50-over match at Worcester on Thursday. There are five games to be played, two of 20 overs duration, three of 50.

Logic suggests that priority should be given to the Twenty20 matches. In September the inaugural Twenty20 Championship involving all the cricketing nations will be held in South Africa. It is the most meaningful one-day tournament on the horizon. The next 50-over competition of any note is the Champions Trophy in 2008; the next World Cup is in 2011. Experience suggests that England will ignore all of the above and pick a 50-over side, which will have to make do for the 20-over matches. This might be illogical, but it's far more convenient.

As ever the debate surrounds Vaughan and the captaincy. It is hard work to convince oneself that Vaughan is the right man to lead the 50-over side. His overall record is poor and England's World Cup campaign was rudderless even before Freddie launched his pedalo. Moreover Vaughan, and his fragile, clumsy body, is too valuable as a Test cricketer to be risked in coloured clothing. But it is well-nigh impossible to advocate Vaughan as England's Twenty20 captain. He has played two games of this duration - both against Australia. It suits neither his batting nor his fielding. Yet Vaughan will probably be selected; it's just too tricky to change. We know Vaughan, so aware of the pitfalls of a dual-captaincy regime since his own elevation to one-day captain in 2004 undermined Nasser Hussain's authority, is anxious to retain the leadership in all forms of the game.

The alternatives are limited. Andrew Strauss can no longer be guaranteed a place in the team, whether the cricket is abbreviated or not. Kevin Pietersen has been suggested, but the man himself, oozing good sense, has said this might be too much responsibility too soon. Paul Collingwood would be a more viable alternative.

Collingwood is vastly experienced, sure of his place and a shrewd, flinty operator. All he lacks is captaincy experience. But the chances are that they will stick with Vaughan, though there will be a few upper-order bashers in the team (even though they are hard to uncover: Mal Loye? Will Jefferson? Matt Prior?). Since his return Vaughan has opened the batting with Ed Joyce, Ian Bell and Strauss - unthinkable combinations in Twenty20 cricket.

One oddity about the bowling line-up for one-day cricket: it could well be that none of the pace bowlers here will be involved. Harmison, on song yesterday, has retired from one-day cricket (I assume this includes the Twenty20). In the old regime Matthew Hoggard had been discarded and Ryan Sidebottom has not played since 2001. Both would be eager to point out that the white ball swings for a few overs.

Meanwhile, India are on their way. On Saturday they play Ireland in Belfast, followed by three matches against South Africa next week. They will arrive without two familiar names: Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh have been omitted, but there are still enough quality batsmen to redress the balance of this summer. West Indies have Shivnarine Chanderpaul, full stop. India have Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly in their middle order. At last a contest beckons.